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Horizontal Monitoring in Austria: subjective representations by tax officials and company employees

Author

Listed:
  • Janina Enachescu

    (University of Vienna)

  • Maximilian Zieser

    (University of Vienna
    Vienna University of Economics and Business)

  • Eva Hofmann

    (University of Vienna
    Vienna University of Economics and Business
    Coventry University)

  • Erich Kirchler

    (University of Vienna)

Abstract

The implementation of Horizontal Monitoring (HM) in Austria represents a shift in the prevailing command-and-control paradigm towards enhanced cooperation between taxpayers and tax authorities. In the present paper, we assess how HM is perceived by different stakeholder groups when it was introduced as a pilot project embedded in the “Fair Play Initiative” launched by the Austrian Ministry of Finance. We collected quantitative and qualitative data from tax auditors and staff of tax offices responsible for large-scale enterprises who were either directly involved or not involved in the HM pilot project, from employees of participating enterprises as well as from employees of enterprises which did not participate in the project. Results show that representations of HM were most positive among employees from HM companies and tax officials directly involved, whereas participants from the tax administration who did not take part in the project were skeptical at the beginning and remained skeptical over time. As shown in organizational change studies, the acceptance or resistance regarding the paradigm change represented by HM may originate from uncertainty and misperceptions of its goals and strategies and from speculations, particularly by poorly informed members.

Suggested Citation

  • Janina Enachescu & Maximilian Zieser & Eva Hofmann & Erich Kirchler, 2019. "Horizontal Monitoring in Austria: subjective representations by tax officials and company employees," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(1), pages 75-94, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:busres:v:12:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s40685-018-0067-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s40685-018-0067-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Eva Eberhartinger & Maximilian Zieser, 2021. "The Effects of Cooperative Compliance on Firms’ Tax Risk, Tax Risk Management and Compliance Costs," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 73(1), pages 125-178, March.
    2. Hoppe, Thomas & Rechbauer, Martina & Sturm, Susann, 2019. "Steuerkomplexität im Vergleich zwischen Deutschland und Österreich: Eine Analyse des Status quo," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 240, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    3. Privitera, Alessandra & Enachescu, Janina & Kirchler, Erich & Hartmann, Andre Julian, 2021. "Emotions in Tax Related Situations Shape Compliance Intentions: A Comparison between Austria and Italy," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 92(C).

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